Shoe sole structure



p 1934- D. c. HUBBARD 1,972,843

SHOE S OLE STRUCTURE Filed June 6. 1933 UNITED STAT-ESPATENT OFFICE SHOE soLE STRUCTURE Don o. Hubbard, Auburn, Maine, mm, to Webster Rubber Company, Sabattns, Maine, a.

corporation of Maine Application June 6 1933, Serial No. 674,533

1 Claim.

My invention relates to novel sole structures for moccasins and shoes, particularly .those. designed for sport or like wear.

In shoes designed for sports and outdoor wear, there are several problems that my invention solves for the first time.

It is essential to provide the foot with a maximum of cushion depth' under the tread of the foot, but there must also be flexibility that clumsiness may be avoided. For sports or like wear,

0 apart from cushioned soles, sport footwear has either been provided with rubber heels, which may have been made integrally with the sole, or .the heel has been omitted leaving the flat sole similar to the soles on canvas shoes of the tennis type.

' Rubber heels, while cushioning the shocks and avoiding stone bruises on the pad of the heel, have been found unsatisfactory and even attimes dangerous on account of their liability to catch at the heel breast and trip the wearer. Heels have the further drawback that certain real lim-" itations in use such as on game courts result. Rubber heels of the type now used do not provide the true solution of the problem. I

The use of the sole without a heel is likewise found unsatisfactory on account of the lack of adequate .heel cushioning and because of the fact that such soles cause the arch of the foot to be subjected to unnecessary and harmful strain.

In true type moccasins, the need for proper cushioning of the sole is particularly urgent because of the great popularity and wide usage of this type of footwear. As the moccasin proper has no defined sole line, the foot is unprotected unless a sole is attached. The moccasin, therefore, affords an extreme illustration of the difliculties involved and the advantages gained by my invention.

My invention consists of a new sole which combines the advantages of both structures heretofore used to answer the problem. I provide a sole of rubber which is thickest in the heel zoneand thinnest in the ball ofthe foot zone. In.

between the sole tapers. Laterally of the arch zone, that is, on the outside of the foot, there is a recess with an inner beveled edge. In practice, the sole in this recess is of the same thickness as the sole at the vfront portion of the foot, while on-the inside of the arch the sole between the heel and ball tapers. Thus, there is provided a definite maximum of protection under the arch and, because of the recessed portion, the strain will be placed on the outside of thefoot in the arch zone. The beveled recess also provides a am able to provide the benefits of both a heel and sole combination and of i. flat sole and also to ensure adequate foot protection.

The usual sole, being of uniform thickness, is dependent on a heel. to ensure against direct arch strain. As the sole is flat, whether or not a heel will actually protect against arch strain depends upon the condition of the foot, and if the heel is eliminated, even this minimum of protection is lost.

It is thus apparent that my'invention permits, because of the real results from confining the foot shock to the outside of the arch zone, flat soled shoes and moccasins to be widely used without criticism on account of the danger of fallen or weakened arches resulting from continued wear of such types of footwear.

Because of the tendency of strenuous outdoor wear to weaken the seams of soles in the toe area, I contemplate using, where possible, a reinforcement. I do this by providing the sole with a plurality of washers through which I drive nails and'clineh them through the inner sole to eliminate both the tendency to stub out the seams at the toe and to trip thewearer if such seams do give out.

As illustrative of my invention I have shown one of my novel soles embodied in a moccasin structure. I have also shown a sectional view of one of my novel soles attached to a moccasin of shoe type to illustrate the way my sole is in 'such use reinforced.

Throughoutthe drawing and specification, like reference numerals are used to designate corresponding parts, and in the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a moccasin with my 'novel sole attached.

' Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of my novel sole.

Fig. 3 isa fragmentary view of my sole showing the nail holes, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a moccasin of shoe 'type with-the form of sole shown in Fig. 3 attached thereto and reinforced by nails through the washers.

The usual moccasin M is provided with my novel sole 1 secured thereto by ,the usual stitches S. The sole 1 is as shown in Fig. 1 of tapered construction between the heel and ball and toe zones." In the heel portion 2 it is of its greatest thickness. In the toe area 3 it is considerably thinner. In the arch zone 4, the sole tapers. In

practice, in this zone, the sole 1 is tapered approximately one quarter of an inch from the heel area 2 to the ball and toe area 3; that is to say,

the heel area is approximately one quarter of an inch higher than the ball and toe area.

The sole is cupped slightly in the heel and arch portions to receive the upper member. The sole will not be cupped except in use with footwear of the moccasin type.

Laterally of the arch zone 4 there is a recessed portion 5 with beveled edges 6. Within this zone the sole 1 is of the same thickness as in the ball and toe portion or area 3. The areas may be suitably marked with ribs and the like to ensure secure footing. The recess 5 extends inwardly from the outer edge of the sole. It is defined by the beveled edge 6'which starts at substantially the outer edge of the sole at the breast line of the heel and extends forwardly and inwardly of the sole to substantially the break line of the sole. The bevel is spaced from the inner edge of the sole, however, a distance suflicient to leave between the bevel and the inner edge of the sole a wedge shaped area indicated at 6' constituting a supporting element in the region of the shank. The wedge shaped area 6' progressively decreases in both width andthickness from the heel breast toward the break line.

The ball and toe portion 3 may be provided with a series of nail holes as is shown in Fig. 3 and washers 7 are moulded in the sole in the nail hole. Nails 8 are driven through the holes and clinched into the inner sole 9 as shown in Fig. 4. Thus the toe piece will be effectively held even though the toe scams or stitches S part thus eliminating the possibility of tripping from a loose toe portion for the washers 7 prevent the nails 8 from pulling through the rubber'sole which has been the fault with the customary sole reinforcement of this type.

Although I have described my invention more particularly in connection with its use in con- What I therefore claim and desire to secure I by Letters Patent is:

A molded resilient rubber sole having a relatively thick heel portion and tapering in the shank portion to a thirmer ball and toe portion, said sole having a recess in the shank portion extending inwardly from the outer edge of the sole and being defined by a sinuous bevel starting substantially at the outer edge of the sole at the breast line of the heel and extending forwardly and inwardly to substantially the break line of the sole but spaced from the inner edge of the/sole a distance sufiicient to leave between the bevel and the inner edge of the sole a wedgeshaped area constituting a supporting element in the region of the shank, said wedge-shaped area progressively decreasing in width from the heel breast towards the break line.

DON C. HUBBARD. 

